when do you usually have your growth ultrasound?

Rubyangel84 · May 2014

I am 32 weeks. .although they have given me two different due dates throughout my pregnancy I think they were right the first time so I say 33 weeks. anyways my doctor has not talked about having a final ultrasound yet. I really want one because my last pregnancy my doctor refused to do one and he was much bigger than planned. I don't know that I could deliver a baby much bigger than what my son weighed. when do you usually have your final or growth ultrasound? I go back in on Monday and would like to ask him about it.

Rubyangel84 · May 2014

Ok. with my last pregnancy they assumed my son would be small because I am petite. they told me to expect at five and a half pound baby and he was 8 pounds at birth.

k318 · May 2014

I'm having one tonight at 35w1d. My practice usually does it at 33-34 weeks but due to concerns that my baby may be large my ob suggested moving it closer to my due date for better accuracy.

With my last, I had the scan at 32 or 34 weeks, I can't remember. Not all practices do them routinely.

Rubyangel84 · May 2014

no offense taken.I have had two doctors and they both ate morons. lol

flojo973 · May 2014

Ditto what PP's said. Growth ultrasounds are not typical unless there is a reason. Also, those ultrasounds can be inaccurate.

I don't understand why people think an 8 pound baby is "big" or a reason to induce early/schedule a c-section.

steprozz · May 2014

I had them with DS1 because I was measuring so far ahead, so I had them once a week starting at 36 weeks until delivery (which was 39 weeks). this time I'm not measuring ahead, at least not nearly as much so my OB will do one at 38 weeks and I will have my csection at 39 weeks.

and I agree with PP just because you are petite doesn't mean you will necessarily have trouble delivering a larger baby vaginally. your body has an amazing knack for accommodating childbirth like it was built for it or something

edited because words

jacksoha · May 2014

My doctors office does two growth ultrasounds, one at 30 weeks and one at 36 weeks. I asked if this was routine and they said yes, they do it for every patient. I know this is uncommon for an OB practice to do, but every one is different.

ElTrain5 · May 2014

Being petite does not mean that you would not be able to deliver a large baby. There is a medical condition that some woman have that, due to abnormalities of the pelvic structure, they cannot deliver vaginally, but it is pretty rare (in comparison to how many women seem to be told they are "too small").

The reason that many providers don't do late ultrasounds is because, according to medical research, ultrasound weight measurements are incredibly unreliable. So basically, there's a good of a chance of your provider telling you that you are having a small baby and you delivering a "large" baby, and vice versa. If there was a way to truly, accurately, predict the weight of the fetus, than I could understand wanting one, but unfortunately it's just a crap shoot as to whether the estimate would be correct.

If you're concerned about delivering a larger baby, I would suggest looking into different positions for delivery, such as squatting or hands and knees, that actually help to open up your pelvis so there is more room for baby to come through.

ElTrain5 · May 2014

Rubyangel84 said:

Ok. with my last pregnancy they assumed my son would be small because I am petite. they told me to expect at five and a half pound baby and he was 8 pounds at birth.

That has absolutely nothing to do with the potential size of your baby. The fact that doctors with medical degrees make statements like this scares the shit out of me.

kbellizio3 · May 2014

I'm getting one tomorrow. I'm 34 weeks. And the reasoning for it was because "I'm overweight" at the time. But that was over 10 weeks ago, and since I have put on maybe 3 pounds they just want to double check that the baby is in a ballpark weight range for this stage. Which to me makes sense. The original reason made me eye roll. Otherwise my OB wouldn't have recommended it (the doctor who originally recommended it was from the place I got the u/s at, and when I wasn't putting on weight my OB agreed)

Cherylwang · May 2014

Third pregnancy and I've never had a growth ultrasound

MollySm · May 2014

Late u/s are notoriously inaccurate as far as determining size, so I wouldn't bother. 8 pounds is a totally average sized baby, not large. If that's what you had last time I would expect #2 to be similarly sized, maybe slightly bigger or slightly smaller. A doctor shouldn't need an ultrasound to guess that (provided you have been growing appropriately).

Pepper6 · May 2014

Most OB practices only do one u/s (the anatomy scan) for a non-high risk pregnancy. Occasionally, you'll get a practice that will do more as part of their standard care, but that is definitely not the norm.

As PPs said, your size has very little to do with your ability to vaginally deliver larger babies. Even if it did, late term u/s are not at all accurate for determining the size of a baby. They use a combination of 3 measurements (the head, the femur, and the abdomen) to determine their best guess at a size, but it's just that...a guess, which can be off by more than a pound in either direction (which is a HUGE variance when determining fetal size).

ChristineBaker23 · May 2014

I never had a growth ultrasound with my first. At my practice they only do a growth ultrasound if there is cause for concern. I have consistently measured ahead this pregnancy so they did an ultrasound at 32 weeks and they are doing another one next week at 36 weeks. These ultrasounds are not necessarily accurate for measuring baby. The main reason they will do them is to be sure baby has enough fluid and doesn't have any abnormalities.

ncbelle · May 2014

It's not standard - for good reason. They aren't accurate and the size of your baby in no way predicts the birth you will have. I actually had a late term (41 week) ultrasound in my last pregnancy (for a biophysical profile since I was "overdue") and wasn't even given a weight estimate - my baby was 10 pounds at birth.

8 lbs is pretty average. I know several very petite (like under 100 pounds) mamas who have had babies 9 or even 10+ pounds without issue.

As noted above, you position while birthing has a lot to do with how easy (or not) it will be to get out a larger baby.

shellbell813 · May 2014

Why on earth do you think an 8 lb baby is a big baby?

fsumom · May 2014

My midwife said they'd want to do one if I'm measuring big as I'm trying for a VBAC but I plan to decline it if they recommend it. She even admitted that they can be way off anyways.

cas889 · May 2014

My doc had me do one at 32 weeks because I'm "advanced maternal age". And now I have to go back for another at 36 weeks because baby boy's abdominal cavity is measuring about 4 weeks ahead. I think he's just going to have a round belly like his sister, but we'll see.

BabyCurtiss2014 · May 2014

Mine does only two US - the dating scan and the anatomy scan. You get one if you do DS testing. Other than that, if everything appears normal and you measure on track they won't do one. It annoys me bc I wanted to see baby's position prior to pushing once I go into labour. I'd like to just make sure he is in a good position and the umbilical cord is not in the way but I doubt they will give me one for that reason since they say they can feel the baby...

efino87 · May 2014

Agree with PP, its usually only done if there is a concern. I had one at 30 weeks because I have been measuring 3-4 weeks ahead. They redid it today because they put the dates in wrong last time and messed it up. I have a good friend who is average sized and delivered a 10lb 11oz baby no meds. It can be done.

babyglo350 · May 2014

I had one at 33 weeks but will likely have one more due to marginal cord insertion. The ultrasound can be off by up to 2 lbs. it's just an estimate and I have seen lots of posts from STM+ that your first baby is not indicator for the size of your subsequent kiddies. Ask lots of questions when you see your doc and good luck!

flerlgirl · May 2014

Every four weeks since 12 weeks because I am that awesome.

And now it's moved to every two weeks. Shazam.

jessicalynn0828 · May 2014

My boyfriend was a 10.4 lb baby and i was 9 lbs. My plan is to go into the doctors and beg for a ultrasound for weight.... If she is more than 8 lbs i will be crying and begging to be induced asap.

steprozz · May 2014

jessicalynn0828 said:
My boyfriend was a 10.4 lb baby and i was 9 lbs. My plan is to go into the doctors and beg for a ultrasound for weight.... If she is more than 8 lbs i will be crying and begging to be induced asap.

flerlgirl · May 2014

jessicalynn0828 said:

My boyfriend was a 10.4 lb baby and i was 9 lbs. My plan is to go into the doctors and beg for a ultrasound for weight.... If she is more than 8 lbs i will be crying and begging to be induced asap.

I have a lot of questions about this but find myself lacking both the energy and desire to come back for the answers.

ElTrain5 · May 2014

jessicalynn0828 said:

My boyfriend was a 10.4 lb baby and i was 9 lbs. My plan is to go into the doctors and beg for a ultrasound for weight.... If she is more than 8 lbs i will be crying and begging to be induced asap.

1) Just barbecue because you and DH were large babies does not mean that you will give birth to a large baby. There are many other factors at play that could effect your baby's birthweight besides genetics (and mother's birth weight is much more closely linked than father's) (trust me, I checked, DH was over 11 lbs at birth with the shoulders of an NFL linebacker)

2) Even if the doctor predicts the baby is 8 lbs based on ultrasound, it is equally as likely that the baby is actually 6 lbs (since u/s technology is so unreliable at this stage).

3) People give birth to babies that are more than 8lbs every day, and I would think that the potential side effects of delivering a larger baby are much better than the potential side effects of inducing the delivery of a child who has not yet finished developing to the point he/she is ready to be born.

Edited becuase..barbecue? Really?

ChristineBaker23 · May 2014

I was a nine pound baby and my mother delivered me just fine with no meds even. My daughter was 7 lb 11 oz and a week early and I delivered her med free and I have a relatively petite frame. If she had come on time she would have been 8-9 pounds easy but I would have let her cook longer if she needed. I think it would be selfish to deny your baby any time they need in utero because you don't want a painful birth. Now, if there was an actual medical concern I would understand.

Edit: forgot to mention the doc predicted my daughter would be 5-6 pounds tops. He was wrong.

Pepper6 · May 2014

jessicalynn0828 said:

My boyfriend was a 10.4 lb baby and i was 9 lbs. My plan is to go into the doctors and beg for a ultrasound for weight.... If she is more than 8 lbs i will be crying and begging to be induced asap.

I hope this is more 'tounge-in-cheek' about nervousness over a large baby than a serious plan...

But in all seriousness, if you are really concerned about birth weight, I'd recommend talking to your doctor. Not necessarily about planning an early induction, but a plan for the possibility of delivering a large baby. Size isn't necessarily an indicator of how your delivery will go, but at least if you have discussed all your options with your doctor ahead of time, you can feel more confident about it going in.

chickpea912 · May 2014

I have a growth ultrasound every month, and now I'm adding BPPs to the mix on a weekly basis. It sounds like some offices have made this part of their routine - not entirely sure why, given the unreliable information these give - but for many, many others, it's a matter of medical necessity.

With M, like this time, I was considered high risk and had monthly growth ultrasounds to ensure my medical conditions weren't negatively impacting baby. By 33ish weeks, they estimated she was 5 pounds 3 oz, and at 37w4d, they estimated her at 7 pounds 9 oz. She was born about a week, week and a half later (after being induced around 39w) at 8 pounds 5 oz. So not terribly far off, as far as these things are concerned.

Of course, THIS baby seems to be attempting to outdo her big sister. At 33w6d, the growth ultrasound put her at 6#7oz. So we'll see what she's at in two weeks at my next (and likely last) growth ultrasound - She could be a 9 pounder.

kbellizio3 · May 2014

I had mine today. They put baby at 5lbs 10oz. And they're predicting her to be between 6.5 and 7.5 pounds. I guess we'll find out in a few weeks if they were accurate. However it's good to know that baby is head down and they said she needs to rotate a bit to be in "prime position" but they're happy with where she's at.

Also I know a lot of women who have had 8-9lb babies via vaginal birth. I'd rather talk to my doctor about options for delivery rather than say "induce me ASAP". Your OB might not even induce before 40 weeks for anything other than necessity (mine won't).

kimmyberly26 · May 2014

It depends on the practice and your insurance. I get 3 u/s at my practice normally and more if there is an issue. I always get one at 34 weeks at my Dr. I know many woman that only get one u/s at 20 weeks.

Susanrush13 · May 2014

Above pp's said it all. You don't typically get one unless something is up or you're high risk. I'm getting one this Friday at 36 weeks because I have gestational hypertension, so they just want to make sure he's not smaller than he should be. Other reasons would be if you had gestational diabetes and they'd want to make sure he's not bigger than expected.

Honestly, as long as I've felt him move, I hear his heartbeat during my weekly appointments and nothing seems out of the ordinary, I would've been okay with not getting another sonogram. I've not had one since 23 weeks so the surprise of what he'll look like is kind of exciting, plus I feel like these growth scans are always off by a pound anyway. As long as he doesn't come out 14 lbs like that one woman a few weeks ago then I'm okay!

Katieluc106 · May 2014

I'm having one at 34 weeks. Just bc my dr is cool with DD1 I only got one bc they thought she was breech. It's not typical to get one.

jessicalynn0828 · May 2014

Pepper6 said:

jessicalynn0828 said:

My boyfriend was a 10.4 lb baby and i was 9 lbs. My plan is to go into the doctors and beg for a ultrasound for weight.... If she is more than 8 lbs i will be crying and begging to be induced asap.

I hope this is more 'tounge-in-cheek' about nervousness over a large baby than a serious plan...

But in all seriousness, if you are really concerned about birth weight, I'd recommend talking to your doctor. Not necessarily about planning an early induction, but a plan for the possibility of delivering a large baby. Size isn't necessarily an indicator of how your delivery will go, but at least if you have discussed all your options with your doctor ahead of time, you can feel more confident about it going in.

Completely nerves. I have no intentions of early induction lol my doctor would give me a funnier look than every GIF thats been posted

pcourtade · May 2014

I had one yesterday (34 weeks) but I have gestational diabetes. They wanted to check her weight and amniotic fluid. They might want to do another in a month but I have a c section scheduled at 39 weeks so I'm not sure.

tbmadeamistake · May 2014

I had a late U/S last time because C had stopped moving as much and they wanted to check up on her....38 weeks and during that ultrasound they didn't look at size at all. They measured fluid levels, her heart, and her movements. I asked about size and they said that at my practice, they don't measure for size through an U/S. So even if you do get a late U/S, they may not measure size. She ended up being an ounce shy of 8 lbs.

fsumom · May 2014

jessicalynn0828 said:

My boyfriend was a 10.4 lb baby and i was 9 lbs. My plan is to go into the doctors and beg for a ultrasound for weight.... If she is more than 8 lbs i will be crying and begging to be induced asap.

No. No. NOOOOOOOO. Just because he was big and you were above average (I don't particularly consider 9lbs huge), it does not mean your baby will be big and growth ultrasounds can be way off. Inductions can often end in c-sections like it did with me. I am not a fan of Pitocin. FYI, my DD was 8lbs15oz and we have no idea where her weight came from. Dh was 6lbs5oz and I was 7lbs3oz at birth.

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when do you usually have your growth ultrasound?

Re: when do you usually have your growth ultrasound?

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